


Carry

by greyj30



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Anyways, First Kiss, Fluff, I didn't expect that to be a tag for some reason, Inspired by Poetry, Love Poems, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Self-Indulgent, Tenderness, engineering major sokka, english lit major zuko, its 2am and halloween and im reading love poems, of course they were roommates, sorry - Freeform, wow not sad for once, yes its basic what are u going to do abt it, yet again, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:27:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27300451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greyj30/pseuds/greyj30
Summary: Zuko reads Sokka a poem, and it begins to echo into their lives
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 61





	Carry

**Author's Note:**

> look I had to memorize this poem for an assignment for a class years ago, it's by Billy Collins and it's very good, I still think about it most days.
> 
> read the poem [here](https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2009/07/28/by-billy-collins-2/chronicles/poetry/)

Zuko looked over his assignments with a frown on his face, “Sokka, there’s this poem I have to analyze for my poetry class, and I’m absolutely stuck on it.”

Sokka walked up to peek over Zuko’s shoulder. “Carry, huh? Sounds interesting.”

“I know it’s not as interesting as- as _engineering_ , but can you humor me a little?”

“Zuko, I’m hurt! Surely after all these years-”

“Two years,” Zuko interrupted.

“-Two years of us living together you knew that I’m a poetry _fiend_?”

“I did not know that. Please just never say that again,”

“Alright! Let’s have at it then,” Sokka said brightly, snatching the paper from Zuko’s hands. He began to read the poem out loud with the practiced and smooth tone of someone who was used to public speaking, and rusty at reading poetry. He enunciated at the proper moments, but not with quite the level of emotion the words deserved.

Zuko did not seem too impressed.

“Oh well, I have all week to get meaning out of it. Maybe inspiration will strike and I’ll be able to write this wonderful essay on its full meaning. We’ll see.”

“Good luck then, _buddy_!” Sokka said, clapping him on the back and grinning.

“I called you buddy ONE TIME!” Zuko insisted, but Sokka’s teasing would have none of it. 

…

Over the next couple of days, Zuko wracked his brain for what on earth Billy Collins meant in _Carry_. Life continued on as normal. Sokka and Zuko went in and out of their shared apartment, living fairly harmoniously with only minor hiccups. They were eating breakfast together with occasional small talk while Zuko continued to agonize over his poetry class assignment.

“Ugh,” Zuko groaned, “What did he mean?”

“Oh, are you still on about this poem thing?”

“Yes, I’m “still on about the poem thing,” Zuko snapped before apologizing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so angry. I’m just really frustrated, I only have two days left.”

A smile lightly kissed the corners of Sokka’s upturned lips, “I bet I know what would get you out of your funk.”

“Do you?” Zuko said dubiously through half-lidded eyes, contemplating taking an all-night in a desperate attempt for lack of sleep to give him new clarity.

“Yes,” Sokka said assertively, “It’s the best way to get your creative juices flowing.”

“Please never say that again either.”

“You’re no fun!” Sokka half whined and half teased, trying to get Zuko to laugh. He did not succeed.

“So wait, what are we doing?”

“We’re going to East Lake! I always go there before a test.” Sokka answered, beginning to look for things to pack. Sokka always packed more than they needed whenever, and Zuko found it kind of cute, in an endearing and annoying way. Zuko was always chronically underprepared, which Sokka found cute in a reckless and stupid way.

Zuko sighed, “Fine, but only if you let me make tea first.” 

“Are you making some for me too?” Sokka asked hopefully, attempting to bat his eyelashes in a way he had seen Katara do to Aang (or sometimes Aang had done to Katara)

Zuko paused, his hand halfway to the kettle on the stove. “Was that not implied?”

Sokka sniffed, “No, very much not,” 

There was an awkward beat of silence.

“Thank you,” he added, before deciding that it was the perfect time to leave the kitchen, “Meet me at my car when you’re done?”

“See you there in five,”

…

> _I want to carry you_  
>  _and for you to carry me_  
>  _the way voices are said to carry over water._

Sokka dragged Zuko by the collar of his coat down to the beach. Protesting, Zuko tried to twist out of his grasp and failed. “Why did you bring me here again?” he hissed.

“Here,” Sokka whispered, “Isn’t this cool?”

“What?” Zuko said louder, “I don’t get it.”

“Shhh!” Sokka hushed him, “Just _wait_.” he pointed out to the lake, which was shrouded in a light mist.

Zuko could only scowl in response. This lake was just cold and wet, like basically every other lake out there. This was a waste of time and he was no more relaxed or creative.

“Okay look, Mr. Grump.” Sokka admonished, “No, don’t bother correcting me. It’s written all over your face. I see an old friend of mine, and I’m going to go catch up. You better be looking for inspiration here.”

Zuko only rolled his eyes in response and sipped his tea as he watched Sokka fade into the fog to greet someone else. The fog made him feel so desperately alone, he thought to himself. This was a disappointment of a morning visit for Sokka’s tried (and clearly failed) attempt at making him less worried.

But then suddenly, he understood. The lakeshore wasn’t packed with people, in fact, it was rather sparse. But Zuko could _hear_ all of them. All the echoes and fragments of conversion bounced off each other in the most haunting of ways.

_I simply just hate winter, look around us! It’s so dreary._  
_Look, we’re all connected. Everything is connected._  
_I’m afraid of the ocean. Ever since I was little-_

Zuko shivered, some of the things he could hear were getting personal. Sokka still hadn’t returned. Why did that disappoint him more than it should have? Zuko sat glumly on a rock near the shore, sipping his jasmine tea and waiting for Sokka to return.

…

> _Just this morning on the shore,  
>  I could hear two people talking quietly  
>  in a rowboat on the far side of the lake._

“Hey Suki!” Sokka said, running up to his ex-girlfriend. “How have you been? It’s been a while.”

“It has!” she answered, smiling. “I’ve been good. Been seeing some new people lately, it’s been pretty interesting. What about you?”

“Uhh- that sounds cool! Going on dates is fun. I personally haven’t been on a date in a while, but that’s okay. Sometimes my housemate Zuko and I have nights where we play video games together and order takeout but that’s not a date. Sorry,” he winced awkwardly, “I’m rambling.”

“Videogames and takeout,” Suki sighed, “ _Boys,_ ” she shook her head before snapping back to attention, “Wait you’re still sharing an apartment with Zuko?”

“Yeah?” Sokka asked, deeply confused, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Oh,” Suki frowned, then nodded to herself before answering, “Well there’s no reason you wouldn’t be, he seems nice enough. I just always thought he had a crush on you.”

Zuko? Having a crush on him? Pfft. The idea alone was ludicrous, Sokka assured Suki. “Let’s talk about something else!” he said brightly, internally confused as to why this made him feel a little conflicted. 

The conversation jumped from topic to topic, but each had one end in common. _Zuko._

> _They were talking about fishing,_  
>  _then one changed the subject,_  
>  _and, I swear, they began talking about you._

…

Sokka still hadn’t returned. Zuko didn’t know how to feel about that. Listening to strangers’ conversations had been enlightening for the first few minutes, quickly becoming interesting as gossip emerged, and then became _very_ boring. You hear one deeply private conversation, you’ve heard them all.

_“I just always thought he had a crush on you.”_

Zuko sat bolt upright. That was _Suki’s_ voice. Talking to Sokka. Which meant what exactly? Who had a crush on Sokka? 

_“What, Zuko? Nah, that guy’s as straight as an arrow.”_

Apparently according to Suki he had a crush on Sokka, and according to Sokka, he did not. _You learn something new every day,_ he thought wryly to himself.

…

Sokka finally returned, without Suki in tow. _Thank agni,_ Zuko thought, before being embarrassed.

“So Mr. Grump, did you learn something?” Sokka grinned smugly.

Zuko wondered if Sokka had had that conversation intentionally. Still, it was speculation at best. “I did learn something.”

“And?” Sokka asked, gesturing for Zuko to clarify.

“I learned what voices carried over water sounds like. It’s almost magical.”

Sokka brightened, “It can be beautiful. I like to go here early in the morning to listen to the sounds, it always helps me relax and rethink solutions. I knew it would help you.” 

“Thank you,” Zuko said, and he meant it, but he still thought about what he had heard from Sokka’s and Suki’s conversation. 

The car ride home was silent.

…

Sokka pulled up in front of their apartment, still in silence. It was only awkward for Zuko for now, but Sokka could sense something was off.

Zuko steeled himself, and as he stepped out of the car he turned to face Sokka and said, “Sokka, I have to ask, did you know I was listening? It was an accident but-”

Sokka raised his hand, stopping Zuko. “No, I forgot completely. I had missed Suki as a friend so much I got entirely caught up in the gossip aspect and forgot that I had set you up on the shore to listen to people. I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable, I’ll refrain from talking about it in the future.” Sokka bowed his head respectfully, taking a step back. He was about to start walking up the stairs when Zuko closed the distance between the two, looking him in the eyes.

“What if-” he began, but faltered. “What if Suki was right?”

Sokka’s eyes went wide. He had not anticipated this.

“I finally understand what the poem is about,” Zuko said, half to himself. “It’s about love. In the purest form. And I’m sorry if this is forward, but it sounds exactly like what I feel, what I’ve been feeling for a year now.”

Sokka took a shaky breath and stepped closer to Zuko, their foreheads almost touching. “Only a year, huh? It would be a safe assumption on my part to say that I’ve been feeling like that ever since I met you.”

“Well,” Zuko ventured, “What does this mean? For us, I guess.”

“Why don’t we find out?” Sokka answered, staring Zuko down. 

Zuko became aware of how close their faces were, their breath mingling and turning into twin smoke trails of condensation. And then suddenly Sokka’s lips were on his and they were kissing and his world was full of color and light and it was everything. Without paying attention, Zuko dropped the thermos of tea to pull Sokka closer. Sokka opened his eyes at the sound of thermos hitting cement and pulled away for a moment, watching the tea soaking into the pavement.

“Oh my god, your uncle is going to kill you,” he whispered, “Wasting good tea like that? Shameful. And was that my tea?”

“I’ll have all the time in the world to make you more,” Zuko said matter of factly before kissing Sokka again and feeling him smile against his lips. 

“Well,” Zuko said as they finally broke apart, “That’s going to be one interesting essay for my poetry class.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have made a fatal error tonight on November 1st,,, signing up for NaNoWriMo to hopefully finish my WIP of original horror stories. This will utterly decimate me guys, if you're looking forward to more concrete fics then look out because I will only be able to produce one shots.
> 
> comment below if u want, I appreciate every comment
> 
> anyways follow my [tumblr](https://greyj30.tumblr.com/) for more :)


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